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Four years before Moriarty. (Sebastian age 39, Devon age 12)
Devon ran into the flat and saw the all-too familiar olive bag on the couch.
"Papa?" She walked back to his room and knocked three times on the door.
"Hold on!" She heard rustling papers and stepped back from the door to put her backpack on the ground and pull her grades out of her folder, "What?"
"I got my grades for the year." She handed him the paper and chewed her lip.
"Good. Good. Excellent. Wonderful. Not so good." Devon flinched. She had passed every single course except one: Physical Education, "How did you fail that? I know you could pass that in your sleep!"
"I…skipped…classes…a lot." She mumbled.
"Skipped classes?"
"I'm so much better than the other kids…I would hide in the bathroom…and not participate so I wouldn't be tempted to punch the kids who bullied me." Devon scrubbed at the floor with her shoe, not wanting to look up and see the disappointment in Sebastian's eyes.
"Devon, head up." Sebastian growled. She blinked at the ground, trying to not cry, and raised her head, "Devon, do you think I'm mad at you?"
"Yes. You told me…not to skip classes…and I skipped…a lot of classes." She couldn't hide her tears now. She lunged for Sebastian's middle, "Don't hate me."
"Devon,"
"Please don't be mad at me for it, Papa! I'll do anything to make up for it."
"Devon!" Sebastian rarely raised his voice at her, but when he did, when he saw the sheer terror on her face, he remembered why.
It was the only thing he couldn't get her to forget from before he'd found her.
The first time he'd raised his voice, it had taken him nearly four hours to find her hiding in the washer.
The second time was worse. She had actually made it outside that time, and was halfway to Hyde Park by the time he'd caught her and apologized.
The third time, she went missing for three days and returned home with a detective inspector holding her by the arm saying she'd been caught trying to break into a car.
Cradling her head, Sebastian whispered apologies, feeling her tears run down his neck as he hugged her tight.
"I'm not mad, Dev." Sebastian murmured in her ear like a horse whisperer trying to calm a skittish horse. Only twelve years old and she could run as far as Sebastian, which was pretty damn far, and could still slip into places Sebastian would barely have been able to fit in when he was learning to walk, "I'm not mad."
"I'm sorry." She let go of his shirt and he stepped away, putting his fingers under her chin.
"How would you like to go with me to Sussex for a bit? I won't let you take the hit, but you can come along with and I'll get you a new laptop." Sebastian said, giving Devon a kiss on the forehead.
"Really? You'll let me go with you?"
"My bag is already packed." He motioned to the living room, "I was just getting yours out to pack it."
"Mine? I don't have one." He showed her the new navy blue bag on his bed, "Only color available, otherwise I'd have gotten you black or olive."
"Thank you!" Devon hugged Sebastian around the neck, kissing his cheek and grinning like a fool.
